Leonardo presented a new variant of its AWHero, a Rotary Uncrewed Aerial System for naval operations
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Leonardo unveiled the latest development of its 200 kg AWHero RUAS (Rotary Uncrewed Aerial System) during an official ceremony held at SEAFUTURE 2023 (La Spezia – Italy) on board the Italian Navy’s Paolo Thaon di Revel PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura – Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Vessel). The inauguration took place in the presence of representatives of institutions and the entire industry.
The AWHero is the first and only RUAS of its kind with military certification, obtained in Italy at the end of 2021, and based on globally recognized standards. The variant presented during SEAFUTURE 2023 features new capabilities and improvements, compared to the previous version.
? Live from #Seafuture2023 the unveiling of the #AWHero Rotorcraft Uncrewed Aerial System’s new developments on board the @ItalianNavy’s Paolo Thaon di Revel #PPA in the presence of the Minister of Defence of Italy @GuidoCrosetto. #Leonardo pic.twitter.com/YEXhZSfgdq
— Leonardo (@Leonardo_live) June 5, 2023
See also: Leonardo and Northrop Grumman join forces to develop vertical takeoff UAS
Better features
New developments include, in particular:
- a heavy fuel powerplant based on a unique twin-engine solution that increases efficiency, safety and time between overhauls;
- airframe modifications that bring significant operational and support benefits (powerplant integration, payload compartment capacity, systems/sensor integration and field of view, ease of maintenance, stability on deck);
- advanced sensor modularity, including Leonardo Gabbiano TS ultralight maritime radar for wide area coverage in all weather conditions;
- enhanced survivability and cyber resilience.
Despite the significant modifications, the system is based on the basic certified and tested configuration with which it shares the rotor system, transmissions, a central avionics system, data link architecture and a control station.
Gian Piero Cutillo, MD of Leonardo Helicopters, said “AWHero is part of a forward-looking roadmap that Leonardo is implementing to maintain its leadership in vertical flight applications in the frame of current and future technological evolutions, which will extensively re-shape this industry. Within this roadmap, uncrewed systems and relevant enabling technologies (i.e. automation/autonomy, communications, sensors integration and fusion) are key elements in which the company has been significantly investing, while leveraging a fruitful collaboration with the Italian Military Authorities. The system enhancements unveiled today reflect the incremental yet firm move from basic design to CONOPS (Concept of Operations) focused configuration. This is particularly true for the relevant naval applications, which remain a priority market for these kind of systems, which are able to meet intelligence and situational awareness extension capabilities with an optimized use of resources.”
Operational capabilities of the AWHero
AWHero is optimized to support a range of assets involved in a variety of naval and multi-domain operations such as ISTAR (Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance), ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare), electronic warfare, communications relay, border protection, combat support and force protection, and can integrate with the naval combat management system.
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